Author: Jonathan Montanaro Grade Level: 8 Course: General Science: Catastrophic Events
Purpose of Unit
The purpose of this unit is for students to understand what earthquakes are, what different components make up an earthquake, how to record and plot an earthquake on a map, along with identify the risks earthquakes bring and ways to stop them. With block scheduling, I plan to utilize the time with activities and labs rather than simply lecture. These activities will help students understand how what they're learning applies to the real world. The sequence of the unit will begin with an introduction of Earthquakes and what they are, followed by an activity involving the different kinds of waves they produce. Here students will have an opportunity of discovering their own learning with an activity involving exploration with slinkys to both prove whether it is a viable tool to model earthquake waves, and then develop and test a question that can be measured using tape, a stopwatch, and a slinky. This not only gives students the opportunity to learn on their own, but also gives them a great chance to practice scientific theory by hypothesizing how they believe their results will be answered through their experiment before collecting any data. Next students will learn how to record earthquake waves and using them to find the epicenter. Here students will utilize technology to plot 20 earthquakes during the last 7 days, and then plot this data and use it to discover any trends. Their results will show how earthquakes are attributed to plate tectonics and plate boundaries which will further be discussed in the next unit on plate tectonics and the layers of the earth. Students will be given a formal assessment at the end of the unit, but throughout the unit activities and problems of the day will help to assess their progression on a day-by-day basis showing any concepts a student may be struggling with. The unit plan progresses students knowledge on earthquakes starting with what students already know about earthquakes, to what earthquakes are, followed by understanding the different types of waves earthquakes produce, and then how to record, plot, and prevent its damages. This sequence allows students to build each day off what they had previously learned to further expand their knowledge of earthquakes.
Learning Performances and Standards
ESS1: The earth and earth materials as we know them today have developed over long periods of time, through continual change processes.
ESS1 (5-6) - 1 1b plotting location of volcanoes and earthquakes and explaining the relationship between the location of these phenomena and faults. Students will have the opportunity to achieve this standard in lesson five where they will plot earthquakes on a world map and compare them to a map of the earth's plate boundaries.
1a. plotting the location of mountain ranges and recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to identify any existing patterns.
Students will have the opportunity to achieve this standard in lesson five where they will plot earthquakes on a world map and compare them to a map of the earth's plate boundaries.
ESS1 ( 7-8) - 3 3b evaluating fast processes (e.g. erosion, volcanoes and earthquakes) to determine how the earth has changed and will continue to change over time. Students will have an opportunity to achieve this standard throughout the unit. First students will show this through analyzing the video in the first lesson of the unit, and then seeing how seismic waves can effect the earth's surface. The unit will also lead students to Plate tectonic theory, which is a major concept that shows how earthquakes affect the earth.
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Students are often captivated by catastrophic events and natural disasters. This will also be the case with this unit on Earthquakes, as students have the opportunity to not only see and learn about the damages they may cause, but also learn the components that entail them, the main causes of them, and how to record and plot them on a map. This unit will be meaningful to students because rather than just being told how earthquakes work and what they are, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the way earthquakes are recorded and plotted, and the motions of their waves through a variety of activities and a two-day lab. Inquiry is also very important for students in science as science theory mainly is inquiry. In the second and third lessons, students will have the opportunity to first decide whether or not a toy (a slinky) can be used to accurately model the motions of earthquake waves. Once this is accepted, students will construct measurable questions they could devise an experiment for using a slinky, a roll of tape, and a stopwatch. Students will then devise their own experiment to solve for this, and as a class we can demonstrate how it would or would not work. Inquiry is very important for students because it not only develops problem solving skills that can be used in the classroom, but lifelong skills that can be applied to real world situations. In addition to inquiry, students will also have the opportunity to take part in collaborative learning which is another important life skill. Throughout students lives they will be working with others, whether on a work team or a sports team it's important to learn how to work together to achieve a common goal. Inquiry was used in this unit in lessons 2 and 3, where students have the opportunity to first discover if a slinky can be used as an accurate model of earthquake waves. Students then come up with questions that could be tested using the materials provided and devise their own experiment to answer this question. The students will then conduct this experiment and as a class we'll discuss results and any possible reasons for error.
Throughout the unit students will be assessed on a daily basis through "Question of the Day". Although it doesn't count as a large portion of their grade, it serves as a great way for students to recover concepts that were introduced in the previous class as well as myself an opportunity to identify any misconceptions students may have and monitor student progress. Students will also be assessed on their lab report, as well as a variety of in class assignments throughout the unit. These in class assignments/activities provide a great opportunity to do science rather than learn about it. Students will gather data themselves in lesson 5 and then plot the information on a map identifying any trends when compared to a map containing the earth's plates. Lastly, students will be assessed with a unit test that reflects the concepts covered in class. The test uses diagrams and using graphs similar to those used in activities that were done in class. Students' prior knowledge was taken into consideration with the prior/post knowledge lists. This was an opportunity for students to share what they knew about earthquakes prior to the unit, and the the list serves as a reminder to students how much they learned throughout the unit. The post knowledge list both shows how much students progressed as well as a review for the test. While making the list, the concepts put on the list will be discussed and we'll review the major components in each. The lesson sequence progresses with students understanding as we first begin learning the main components of an earthquake and seeing some of the damage they can cause. Students then learn the different waves that are produced by these catastrophic events, and ways of preventing these damages in homes. Students then learn how these waves are recorded to find the epicenter of an earthquake and then learn how to plot these epicenters on a map to discover any trends. This unit is beneficial to students because it builds on their knowledge and provides students an opportunity to DO more science rather than learning about it. From the inquiry lab to small in class activities, students enjoy demonstrating and doing science more than learning about it through a lecture or a video. Hopefully this unit will greatly improve students original knowledge of earthquakes and captivate their interests to learn more in the future.
Title: Earthquakes
Author: Jonathan Montanaro
Grade Level: 8
Course: General Science: Catastrophic Events
Purpose of Unit
The purpose of this unit is for students to understand what earthquakes are, what different components make up an earthquake, how to record and plot an earthquake on a map, along with identify the risks earthquakes bring and ways to stop them. With block scheduling, I plan to utilize the time with activities and labs rather than simply lecture. These activities will help students understand how what they're learning applies to the real world. The sequence of the unit will begin with an introduction of Earthquakes and what they are, followed by an activity involving the different kinds of waves they produce. Here students will have an opportunity of discovering their own learning with an activity involving exploration with slinkys to both prove whether it is a viable tool to model earthquake waves, and then develop and test a question that can be measured using tape, a stopwatch, and a slinky. This not only gives students the opportunity to learn on their own, but also gives them a great chance to practice scientific theory by hypothesizing how they believe their results will be answered through their experiment before collecting any data. Next students will learn how to record earthquake waves and using them to find the epicenter. Here students will utilize technology to plot 20 earthquakes during the last 7 days, and then plot this data and use it to discover any trends. Their results will show how earthquakes are attributed to plate tectonics and plate boundaries which will further be discussed in the next unit on plate tectonics and the layers of the earth. Students will be given a formal assessment at the end of the unit, but throughout the unit activities and problems of the day will help to assess their progression on a day-by-day basis showing any concepts a student may be struggling with. The unit plan progresses students knowledge on earthquakes starting with what students already know about earthquakes, to what earthquakes are, followed by understanding the different types of waves earthquakes produce, and then how to record, plot, and prevent its damages. This sequence allows students to build each day off what they had previously learned to further expand their knowledge of earthquakes.Learning Performances and Standards
ESS1: The earth and earth materials as we know them today have developed over long periods of time, through continual change processes.ESS1 (5-6) - 1
1b plotting location of volcanoes and earthquakes and explaining the relationship between the location of these phenomena and faults.
Students will have the opportunity to achieve this standard in lesson five where they will plot earthquakes on a world map and compare them to a map of the earth's plate boundaries.
ESS1 (9-11) - 1
1a. plotting the location of mountain ranges and recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to identify any existing patterns.
Students will have the opportunity to achieve this standard in lesson five where they will plot earthquakes on a world map and compare them to a map of the earth's plate boundaries.
ESS1 ( 7-8) - 3
3b evaluating fast processes (e.g. erosion, volcanoes and earthquakes) to determine how the earth has changed and will continue to change over time.
Students will have an opportunity to achieve this standard throughout the unit. First students will show this through analyzing the video in the first lesson of the unit, and then seeing how seismic waves can effect the earth's surface. The unit will also lead students to Plate tectonic theory, which is a major concept that shows how earthquakes affect the earth.
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Lesson Sequence
Lesson 1Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Assessment Plan
Rationale
Students are often captivated by catastrophic events and natural disasters. This will also be the case with this unit on Earthquakes, as students have the opportunity to not only see and learn about the damages they may cause, but also learn the components that entail them, the main causes of them, and how to record and plot them on a map. This unit will be meaningful to students because rather than just being told how earthquakes work and what they are, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the way earthquakes are recorded and plotted, and the motions of their waves through a variety of activities and a two-day lab. Inquiry is also very important for students in science as science theory mainly is inquiry. In the second and third lessons, students will have the opportunity to first decide whether or not a toy (a slinky) can be used to accurately model the motions of earthquake waves. Once this is accepted, students will construct measurable questions they could devise an experiment for using a slinky, a roll of tape, and a stopwatch. Students will then devise their own experiment to solve for this, and as a class we can demonstrate how it would or would not work. Inquiry is very important for students because it not only develops problem solving skills that can be used in the classroom, but lifelong skills that can be applied to real world situations. In addition to inquiry, students will also have the opportunity to take part in collaborative learning which is another important life skill. Throughout students lives they will be working with others, whether on a work team or a sports team it's important to learn how to work together to achieve a common goal. Inquiry was used in this unit in lessons 2 and 3, where students have the opportunity to first discover if a slinky can be used as an accurate model of earthquake waves. Students then come up with questions that could be tested using the materials provided and devise their own experiment to answer this question. The students will then conduct this experiment and as a class we'll discuss results and any possible reasons for error.Throughout the unit students will be assessed on a daily basis through "Question of the Day". Although it doesn't count as a large portion of their grade, it serves as a great way for students to recover concepts that were introduced in the previous class as well as myself an opportunity to identify any misconceptions students may have and monitor student progress. Students will also be assessed on their lab report, as well as a variety of in class assignments throughout the unit. These in class assignments/activities provide a great opportunity to do science rather than learn about it. Students will gather data themselves in lesson 5 and then plot the information on a map identifying any trends when compared to a map containing the earth's plates. Lastly, students will be assessed with a unit test that reflects the concepts covered in class. The test uses diagrams and using graphs similar to those used in activities that were done in class. Students' prior knowledge was taken into consideration with the prior/post knowledge lists. This was an opportunity for students to share what they knew about earthquakes prior to the unit, and the the list serves as a reminder to students how much they learned throughout the unit. The post knowledge list both shows how much students progressed as well as a review for the test. While making the list, the concepts put on the list will be discussed and we'll review the major components in each. The lesson sequence progresses with students understanding as we first begin learning the main components of an earthquake and seeing some of the damage they can cause. Students then learn the different waves that are produced by these catastrophic events, and ways of preventing these damages in homes. Students then learn how these waves are recorded to find the epicenter of an earthquake and then learn how to plot these epicenters on a map to discover any trends. This unit is beneficial to students because it builds on their knowledge and provides students an opportunity to DO more science rather than learning about it. From the inquiry lab to small in class activities, students enjoy demonstrating and doing science more than learning about it through a lecture or a video. Hopefully this unit will greatly improve students original knowledge of earthquakes and captivate their interests to learn more in the future.